Psalter Lane Methodist Church And Adjoining Steps And Walls

This is a Methodist church with adjoining steps and walls, built around 1915 in the Perpendicular Revival style. It is constructed of random rubble with ashlar dressings and has slate roofs, culminating in an octagonal wooden bell turret with a copper-clad octagonal spire.

The church’s plan incorporates a nave, chancel, vestries, transepts, west towers, and a west porch. The exterior features a plinth, buttresses, a string course, crenellated parapets, and coped gables. Pointed arch windows are common, mostly with hoodmoulds. The single-bay chancel has square-headed windows on either side and a 5-light window to the east. The adjoining single-storey vestries have single-light and mullioned windows to the south. A larger vestry to the north features a canted bay window flanked by similar 3-light windows to the east and a further three-light window to the north. The transepts have traceried 5-light windows to the north and south, flanked by buttresses. The nave has three traceried 3-light windows on each side. The west gable features a wide 7-light window divided by buttresses, and on either side, an octagonal tower with two stages, string courses and a plain coped parapet. The lower stages of the towers have a lozenge-shaped window to the west, and two flat-headed 2-light windows with small round windows above on the north and south sides. The upper stages have four single-light windows. A canted single-storey west porch has chamfered segmental pointed doors under a stepped flat gable, flanked by buttresses with pinnacles, featuring double board doors with traceried overlights and single-light windows.

Inside, a moulded chancel arch with chamfered responds leads to a chancel with a panelled dado and wagon roof with exposed rafters. The east end has a stained-glass window, with a door and stained glass window on the north side and a moulded arch containing a traceried latticework organ case on the south side. The nave has an arch braced wagon roof with wall shafts and shield corbels. Three-bay arcades have plain chamfered arches and octagonal piers. The west end features a stained glass window and a close-studded internal porch with latticework crest. Double glazed doors with overlights lead into a central lobby, flanked by single 2-light windows. The narrow aisles have crosswise arches and three stained glass windows. Half-glazed panelled doors are at the west ends. The transepts have common rafter roofs and plain arches with octagonal piers. North transept has a segmental pointed door to the east, while the south transept has a similar door flanked to the left by a moulded arch containing organ pipes. A top lit entrance lobby has segmental pointed half-glazed doors and cloakrooms with original fittings. The building contains a traceried octagonal ashlar font, an octagonal oak pulpit with a sounding board and curved stair, and a carved wooden lectern, all dating from the early 20th century. Other original features include panelled oak stalls and benches.

Outside, two flights of ashlar steps lead to the church, the lower flight accompanied by canted flanking walls carrying cast-iron lamp standards.